Phyllis Irene (Johnson) Wentling

A Funeral Service for Phyllis (Johnson) Wentling will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Holdrege Methodist Church with Pastor Candance Miller officiating.  Interment will follow at the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege.

Phyllis Irene (Johnson) Wentling, 87 years of age, of Holdrege, formerly of Franklin, Nebraska, died on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at the Christian Homes Care Community at Holdrege.  Phyllis was born on November 20, 1935, at the Brewster Hospital in Holdrege, the seventh of ten children, born to Ernest and Lois Irene (Hopkins) Johnson.  She received her primary education from Hawkeye Country School and then attended and graduated from Holdrege High School in 1953, as the Salutatorian.  She pursued higher education from Nebraska State Teacher's College in Kearney, Nebraska and received her Teaching Certificate.

On June 13, 1954, Phyllis was united in marriage to Frank Wentling at the First United Methodist Church in Holdrege.  The couple made their home in Alma, Nebraska, until Frank was drafted to the U.S. Navy in March of 1956.  The couple moved back to Alma, then Salina, Kansas, California, and Oregon.  Upon Frank's retirement, the couple moved to Franklin, Nebraska in 1989.

Phyllis enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting, reading, needlework, puzzles, and antiquing.  She was a member of the Methodist Faith, attending in Franklin and Holdrege and was a member of the Chapter BG, P.E.O. in Franklin.

The couple always enjoyed spending time with their cousins and when their nieces and nephews started to come into the picture, they meant the world to Phyllis and Frank.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Frank in 2017; her parents; her father-in-law, Lloyd (Lucy) Wentling; her mother-in-law, Irene (Francis) Davis; a sister-in-law, Darlene (Ed) Hawkinson; her siblings:  Melvin and Clyda Johnson; Merlyn and Dorcel Johnson; Larry Johnson; Doris and Daniel Lavene; Leone and Bernie Woollen, and his second wife, Juanita; Lois and Donn Anderson; Dean Johnson and Jeanne; and Rod Johnson; and other loved ones, including her beloved Black Lab, Mike.

She leaves to celebrate her life:  her brother:  Dennis Johnson and wife, Shirley of Larkspur, Colorado (formerly of Franklin, Nebraska); along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A visitation will be held on Monday, September 11, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home, with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A memorial can be made in Phyllis' honor for future designation.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.